We do not 'work these kids too hard'

Published 6:47 pm, Friday, January 25, 2013

Your article on next year's school vacation schedule quoted a statement by Board of Education member John Leydon that must be a misquote. He allegedly said, "I believe we work these kids too hard." Given our 180-day school year, among the shortest in the developed world, our short school day, and the fact that we're so far behind the rest of the world in math and science that it's a national disgrace, no self-respecting member of the Board of Ed could possibly have said that we work our kids too hard.

Although there's nothing wrong with a family-friendly approach -- another of Mr. Leydon's quoted educational goals -- that's not what school is about. We want our children to be the best and the brightest. We can achieve this if we work our children a lot harder (and smarter) than we do. We need to prepare them for today's competitive world.

If Mr. Leydon really thinks the problem is that we work our children too hard, I suggest that he leave the Board of Ed immediately. He is not appropriately serving our children or our community.

Adding more teachers will never, ever solve the main problem in our education system in Stamford. We need to build two more schools in order for anything on the table to work. Remember, the city that works is rapidly enticing more and more families to move here. Hence, a major overcrowding issue in our schools.

Please be smart and start construction on a school instead of more affordable housing. It would be a shame to have the city fail in education standards, and that is what is going to happen sooner than later.

It's very nice to depict woeful baby angels as victims of that landmark decision, but this has nothing to do with the very real and wrenching decision that many, many women feel forced to make. If the cartoonist had known a victim of rape or incest, a woman whose life was endangered by carrying a pregnancy to term, or someone who for her own reasons felt unable to have a child, perhaps his judgmental stance would be tempered. Or not.

This is now, and hopefully will remain, a personal decision that no one not directly involved should make for the woman. I wish The Advocate had reconsidered printing his sentimental and paternalistic message.

Few people probably remember the following impressive comments by Sen. Barack Obama in March 2006: "Increasing America's debt weakens us domestically and internationally. Leadership means that `the buck stops here.' Instead, Washington is shifting the burden of bad choices today onto the backs of our children and grandchildren. America has a debt problem and a failure of leadership. Americans deserve better."

We all struggle to understand the tragedy that occurred in Newtown over a month ago. While politicians attempt to adopt new gun laws, I believe the underlying reason for this massacre was how we view life. The way Hollywood and many video games just randomly shoot up and destroy human beings is appalling. How we view both the unborn and the elderly as dispensable also concerns me.

It is true there will always be one too many guns in the hands of one too many mentally ill persons, but at the end of the day we must proclaim the value of life.